The Stray Cat and the Shining Star
by Kara Aconoe
Summary: Train Heartnet is a killer in a young girl's eyes and nothing can change her outlook of him. Creed approaches a sweeper with questions and a proposition that isn't refusable. When they're given answers things turn for the worse as these fates collide...
1. Shot I: Once Upon a Midnight

**Black Cat: The Stray Cat and the Shining Star**

**By:** Kara Aconoe

* * *

**_Warnings: Graphic scenes, anime/manga spoilers, original characters and possible out of character occurances._****  
**

**Synopsis:** Train Heartnet, the former XIII Number eraser of the Chronos Numbers, was the infamous Black Cat. It's been a little over half a year now since Train has left Chronos to start the life of a sweeper among Sven Vollfied and Eve. After having his life changed by the events and meeting with Saya Minatsuki he has opened his eyes to the world around him and the ideal that he does not always have to shoot when it's not necessary.

Creed Diskenth, the former partner to the Black Cat and member of Chronos, had an unhealthy obsession and ambition. Having left Chronos as a traitor and rising up by use of Tao from the Forbidden Continent. He is now the leader of the Apostles of the Stars, a group that wishes to overthrow Chronos. His admiration for Train still drives him as the leader of the Apostles and after going to great lengths even still, that admiration still grows greater

**!Update! - Edited, the story now revolves rather loosely around the _manga_ version of Black Cat. **

**

* * *

Shot I: Once Upon a Midnight**

_It's been two long years since it happened, _

_I can still remember it like a passing dream. _

_Or rather, _

_the nightmare that it really was. _

_That boy, _

_the boy who I never thought I'd see again..._

_Black Cat_

_The name that will forever stain that grave...

* * *

_

"Kanta! Kantaaa!"

"Coming, coming!"

Two children happily played around the large estate, the garden was littered with the fresh dew of a new day. Guards were stationed at every gate normally, but this day it seemed there were a few extra wandering about the entire estate.It was a large mansion, not too different from the many others around the city. The only difference was that the security seemed to be far greater than that of the norm. Kanta took careful notice of this as he continued to play along with his younger sister.

Kanta was a strong and calculating young boy at the age of fifteen years. He was orphaned due to his parents unfortunate deaths in a fire three years prior to being adopted. His sleek blonde hair and sapphire eyes made it quite easy for them to strap on a noble appearance for the youth. After being with the family for sometime now he's learned to deal with it, but also has a few loop holes whenever he can get out of the house. Having his own secret wardrobe and normally messing the finely combed hair they seemed to pride so much. Kanta would have surely run away from such riches and normally scandalous lives if it were not for his younger sister.

Arie was never well looked upon for adoption. Her oddly colored yellow eyes and plain black hair were things that turned most people off from ever adopting her. Little is known to her and Kanta about what really happened, but back when the fire occurred Kanta just happened to come upon the young girl in the same apartment buildings unconscious. After saving her life and losing those of his parents he pledged to keep Arie safe and find a better home for the both of them. Thus, he adopted Arie as his own younger sister in the sense and ever since the two have been inseparable.

Arie was the symbol of carefree innocence that kept Kanta at ease through everything that went on secretly within the family. In truth, they were living with very corrupt people. Politicians whose pasts were slandered with unsolvable murders and bribery. It was not much better than the life the two had left behind at the orphanage, but it just so happened that two weeks after they were adopted the place went bankrupt. Kanta could only speculate since he never had any proof, but it was clear this new family had something to do with it.

"Kanta? Kanta what's wrong?" questioned Arie, a bit concerned as the boy suddenly stopped. They were in the middle of a game of tag and Kanta was it but he had stopped chasing her for no apparent reason, or so she could see.

"Oh! Sorry about that." he said with a small laugh as he scratched the back of his head in dismay. "It's nothing, nothing at all." he lied to her. It was something, he had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had spotted something on the roof nearby...

"Kanta!" Arie whinned. "Quit spacing out, Kanta! It's getting late and they'll make us go inside and dress flashy soon."

Arie always worded things like that a bit immaturely, but it was out of the fact she had little knowledge of just what their new family was all about. Dressing flashy was just dressing formally for every meal. Since the two never really ate with the others in the mansion unless they had outside guests they still had to practice dressing just in case.

Kanta smiled at her and placed his hand on her head as he gently pressed down. "Alright then. You're it!" He ran off back into the house this time laughing.

"Kanta! Kantaaa! You come back here!" she whined. "Kanta you cheat!"

"Thems the breaks 'sis." he remarked as he turned back to her for a moment with a sly smirk as he waved. "Bye, bye!"

"Oooh! Kanta you meanie..." she huffed stomping around in place.

The sun was beginning to set now, it was getting darker and lights all about the mansion lit up the area. She had been sitting there on the grass in frustration now for about a half hour. Another of her many silent tantrums, but she solved her anger in more peaceful and sound ways than a crying child.

Arie sighed and took a deep breath as she finally stood back up. Shifting her glance around to make sure no one was looking, she crept over to a hidden flower patch just behind the giant bushes nearby. It was quite dark there since there were no lights around the outer foliage of the estate. Pulling out a small pocket flashlight, Arie took another glance around just in case. If anyone ever found out about her secret hiding spot they might ruin it, or so she liked to think since she had spent so much time and effort into growing the few flowers there.

She smiled as she shined the small light on the patch of dirt just before her. Little buds sprouted from the ground and a few weeds were creeping up onto the flower bed. Arie frowned as she quickly plucked them out.

"Can't have those there." she whispered to herself. She took a few steps back and shone the light again as she looked triumphantly at her little patch of heaven. "Perfec-!"

"Arie! Arie come back inside now, it's getting late!" called Kanta from the courtyard. He never bothered to go searching for her since he knew about her hiding place. She liked to boast about it to him, calling it her 'secret base' or her 'little patch of heaven.'

Shutting off the flashlight and slipping it back into her pocket, she quietly snuck her way out of the bushes and ran off to where the voice was echoing.

"Coming Kanta!"

* * *

**Midnight: All is quiet.**

'Wait... quiet..?' thought Arie as she opened her eyes and glanced up at the roof. 'Why is it so quiet..?' Pushing herself up from the bed and folding the covers away neatly she slunk off of the mattress and on to the velvety carpet. She looked around the room again and took a deep breath as she listened carefully for anything strange.

Footsteps... just outside of the window.

Quietly tiptoeing to the curtains, she peeked just outside. It was pitch black, only the slight reflection of the lights on nearby could be seen. 'That's strange... I could have sworn... Oh well.' she thought as she closed the curtain and made her way back over to the welcoming bed. Just as she was about to go back under the covers there was a swift instance where she felt a cold rush of wind.

"What in the-!" Arie quickly sprung from her bed as she shifted from the now partially opened door to the window that was wide open as the curtains danced violently with the breeze.

"Aaaaaaaah!" she screeched. Her loud scream was halted as she felt someone come up from behind and cover her mouth. Her heart raced as she tried to look back.

"Sssh... It's okay Arie, it's okay. I'm here." soothed a familiar voice. It was Kanta, he had come just as he heard the cry from his younger sibling. Slowly slipping his hand away from her covered mouth Arie quickly turned over to Kanta and clung to him tightly.

"Kanta nii-san!" she cried softly. He stroked her hair affectionately.

"It's alright now Arie, I'm here..." he assured her, but his figure soon straightened as he heard a ringing in his ears. 'Silent alarm...' he thought to himself. There definitely was something going on, Kanta was right. It seemed their family also knew this and they had added security recently just for it. Just outside of the room rushed footsteps and the sound of grunts could be heard. Soon gunshots began to echo the halls.

"Arie, Arie I need you to listen carefully to me." Kanta said sternly, slightly shaking her so that she'd look up at him. "No matter what you see from here on out I want you to keep running, okay?"

"Keep running..?" she repeated. "B-But why! I want to stay with you, nii-san!" she protested. He shook his head and held on to her shoulders tightly.

"Listen to me Arie, and promise me you will. Promise me Arie!" he spoke rather desperately now, looking at her directly in the eyes. Her head dropped slightly at the urgency in his voice but she looked back up to him with a small nod. He gave her a reassuring smile and knelt down closer to her level. "Hey now, I promise I'll be there with you soon too. Here, I'll let you hold on to this as insurance, 'kay?" Pulling something from his pocket he handed it to her gently.

"I'm off, remember what I said." Kanta stated as he let go of her and was about to leave.

"Wait! When do I...?" she blurted, trying to get him to stay back just a little bit longer. He glanced around as if looking for an answer.

"Just count, like we used to do. You remember right? Whenever the bad things come all you have to do is close your eyes and count to your favorite number." he said with a wink as he patted her on the head one last time. "Just count to thirteen and all the bad things will go away. Then just keep running." Walking to the door he looked back at her one last time as he reached the doorway.

"I love you, nii-san..." she whispered, a few tears slipping down her face.

"Don't cry, Arie... you should never have to cry unless we're saying goodbye. And I promise this isn't goodbye..."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well now, I bet most of you are wondering how the synopsis has anything to do with what's going on aside from the beginning conversation but I'll just state now that it will matter soon enough. If you notice the repetition of certain things, I mean THINGS not grammer, then be sure to keep track of them for future references. 

Another thing is some of you may recognize the characters names from my other fanfictions, one of the first times I've reused characters. There will be a vast difference in their portrayal from past usage so please don't bother comparing, you'll only be making things complicated for yourself.

**!Update! - Edited, the story now revolves rather loosely around the _manga_ version of Black Cat. **

* * *

**Next Shot: Count to XIII**


	2. Shot II: Count to XIII

**Shot II: Count to XIII**

**Midnight**

"Arie, Arie I need you to listen carefully to me." Kanta said sternly, slightly shaking her so that she'd look up at him. "No matter what you see from here on out I want you to keep running, okay?"

"Keep running..?" she repeated. "B-But why! I want to stay with you, nii-san!" she protested. He shook his head and held on to her shoulders tightly.

"Listen to me Arie, and promise me you will. Promise me Arie!" he spoke rather desperately now, looking at her directly in the eyes. Her head dropped slightly at the urgency in his voice but she looked back up to him with a small nod. He gave her a reassuring smile and knelt down closer to her level. "Hey now, I promise I'll be there with you soon too. Here, I'll let you hold on to this as insurance, 'kay?" Pulling something from his pocket he handed it to her gently.

"I'm off, remember what I said." Kanta stated as he let go of her and was about to leave.

"Wait! When do I...?" she blurted, trying to get him to stay back just a little bit longer. He glanced around as if looking for an answer.

"Just count, like we used to do. You remember right? Whenever the bad things come all you have to do is close your eyes and count to your favorite number." he said with a wink as he patted her on the head one last time. "Just count to thirteen and all the bad things will go away. Then just keep running." Walking to the door he looked back at her one last time as he reached the doorway.

"I love you, nii-san..." she whispered, a few tears slipping down her face.

"Don't cry, Arie... you should never have to cry unless we're saying goodbye. And I promise this isn't goodbye..."

* * *

**Thirty past midnight...**

Arie slowly approached the door moments after Kanta had rushed on ahead. Just as she was about to push open the door it stopped short. Something was blocking it, but what..? Closing the door again gently, she tried once more. It was the same result yet again.

She reluctantly backed down. The door didn't seem to want to open for her... Never before had she ever been troubled by such a thing.

'Did he...?'

She shook her head. "No... Kanta would never do that!" she said with a hint of resolve as she stared down the door once more with more determination. Using as much strength as she could she approached the door one more time and pushed with all of her might.

Success!

The door finally budged open just enough for her to get out. Squeezing herself through, she gave a sigh of relief as she made it out. The door then quickly slammed shut as soon as the pressure she was placing on the wood disappeared. Arie nearly jumped at the sudden noise as she placed her hand on her heart to try and stop it from jumping out of her chest.

"I should have been more careful..." she scolded herself lightly as she took a deep breath to recover from the shock. She was about to start making her way to the courtyard when her eyes met with a familiar black suit.

Whirling around in a daze, she found herself staring down a long trail of the men lying unconscious all around the halls. At least, that's what state she assumed them to be in. Death was a word outside of her current vocabulary, and a word Kanta had made sure never to let her come in contact with. It was almost a taboo amongst the siblings.

Arie took another deep breath as she slowly and carefully made her way around the still bodies that littered the halls. A horrible stench aroused her senses as she continued further on. It seemed things were getting darker as she winced to try and keep her vision straight.

'It's so quiet... what could have happened..?'

* * *

'What in the world's going on!' Kanta panicked, dodging the motionless bodies as he dashed through the corridors. He had only left Arie moments ago and yet already he was beginning to wish he had taken the young girl along with him. She hated being alone, and he hated leaving her alone just as much. But what he had given her as insurance would probably leave the girl with a bit of ease and hope that he'd keep his word. Kanta was always true to his word, no matter what it entailed for him. If it was something for Arie then it was something he was always willing to fight for...

Kanta had passed about six hallways by now, searching through each one with care. He even took a few chances to open doors that lead to larger rooms just in case someone was there. Sure enough, he had found little. After all, he was in the east wing and their parents normally stayed in the west from what he gathered.

As he finally made the final stretch from the middle of the building into the west wing all became dark. Every sense suddenly vanished as he stood in darkness.

"This is insane..." he couldn't help but mutter as he blinked trying to adjust to the lighting. After about five minutes he could vaguely make out the outlines of the halls and corridors, but he had to move on. This mansion was like a labyrinth now that he was traveling blind. From what he could make out earlier, the area had definitely been infiltrated by someone. But who...

"Who in their right mind would want to try and come here?" he couldn't help but sigh. They had done a damned good job, but he couldn't figure out just how. Whoever had made their way into the mansion was no moron. They had not only wiped out almost half of the guards in the east wing alone, but managed to cut the power in just the right places too. To do that they would have had to scope out almost the entire perimeter. Along with that they'd have had to devise a way to get past the added security that had been placed throughout the grounds.

Was it a group effort? Or could someone actually do it all on their own..?

Either this person was extremely skilled and out for kicks, or they were really after something and didn't want any witnesses. It was almost elegant how fast the guards from earlier had been knocked down, some even killed. No matter how many times Kanta thought the scenario through there was just no humanly possible way for it to happen in under five minutes.

This was beyond being dangerous. There was no way Arie would be spared if they were murderers or assassins.

"I'm glad I told her to go on without me..." he whispered to himself softly, a slight tinge of regret reflecting in his eyes despite his words. His hatred for this place and their foster family ran high, but it was his love for Arie that kept him there. They had nowhere else to really go and it wasn't as if life was too hard either. It was just their foster family that was the problem, what they did...

'Never mind that now...' he thought, bringing himself back to the present problem at hand. He was about to start with a running pace when something caught his eye. There was a door open, and light was slowly streaming out from it. Though it was only faint, it was still light in this shrouding darkness.

"Good... now if she makes it out alright everything will be okay." he assured himself, rushing as fast as his legs could take him toward the light. Just as he was about to make one final dash to the door, the light disappeared. A crimson figure sparkled for a brief moment as Kanta almost felt his heart stop. He was frozen...

Frozen in _fear_...

"How quaint... If that's your last wish then you won't mind if I finish you off here."

* * *

The bodies became fewer in number and finally there was a clear path of which she could walk. She could only speculate on how late it was getting. It was the latest she had ever wandered the corridors of the massive home. It seemed like she had already been wandering for hours when in truth it was simply seconds passing by. Everything seemed to be feeling a bit longer...

She noticed a clear divide as she entered the rather large room which signified the middle of the mansion. 'The west wing...' she thought curiously as her steps slowed to a walk. Now was the time to be a bit more cautious for the entire west wing was cloaked in darkness. There was no doubt in her mind Kanta had wandered through the same place as well. Despite his kind intentions when he told her to go on ahead, she knew that the moment he left the room he had something else in mind then going to 'check' on things and meet her in the courtyard.

She **had** to find him.

However, with her vision now compromised ,she had no way of knowing just where she was wandering to. The west wing was an abyss of mysteries.

"This is the first I've ever been through here..." Arie thought aloud as she spotted the outlines of old paintings and statues. Her vision in the dark was much more acute than Kanta's as she had come to learn. They often used to play hide and seek at night when they weren't allowed to wander very far. Kanta normally ended early since he became worried as to her whereabouts when in fact she was merely standing behind a curtain.

Their adoptive parents had been sure never to allow the two very far. The west wing was an anomaly in itself to the small girl ever since they were first adopted. Within the years they had grown up there Arie was only familiar with the courtyard, the main dining hall and the hallway where their rooms were. When she was younger she was often scolded by the housekeepers if she ever go 'too curious,' as they liked to state it.

She often wondered if Kanta had ever gone a bit further than she could. He always seemed a bit more keen on things than herself and he was pretty sneaky when he had to be. Kanta could always fool the housekeepers, even for a few hours, if needed. However, every time she brought up the subject he seemed to go a bit silent and, soon after, change the subject. Now that she was starting to think about it, she didn't know a lot about Kanta, or herself for that matter.

"I wonder..." she said as she placed her hand on her chin and continued forward thoughtfully. As she was walking, her foot came in contact with something on the floor as she was sent crashing down.

"Ow..." she moaned, turning into a sitting position as she rubbed her head from the collision with the floor. It was a brief one, but it left a ringing impression in her head. She placed one hand on her heart as it had started to race slightly. Kanta had warned her never to get too excited over things. He said a long time ago something happened and when she had woken up she had been startled into a state of shock. It was just that that she presumed to be the cause of her lost memory...

Her head was still ringing slightly, so she picked up her other hand that she was using as support and placed it against her hand. "Wha-...? What's this?" she muttered, her hand suddenly pulling back on impulse as she felt some sort of liquid run down her wrist. It was unusually thick, meaning it wasn't water. But just what..?

Her ears perked slightly for a moment as her attention on the strange liquid disappeared from her mind. 'That noise...' It was very faint, but since things were already so calm she could hear her every footstep. She hadn't even thought about other people being there, though she should have known better after the scene just outside of the room. If she could hear her footsteps, no doubt everyone else could as well.

Arie stood, despite her better judgement, and began to walk forward as he hearing led her to where the sound was coming from. She had heard that strange noise before, a very long time ago. Something deep down told her it was not a good noise as she continued through the pitch darkness. Her walk soon became strides, and those strides turned into a solid dash. The hall's outline now rushed past as she continued forward. She was getting closer and closer...

Light!

She saw light just within her grasp. It was a sight for her sore eyes, and her heart nearly leapt. If there was light then that probably meant Kanta was there and if Kanta was there then everything would be all right again. With one last large stride she reached the door and burst through the entrance.

But just as Arie made it through that doorway something else burst...

Her throat ran dry as her eyes widened in horror. No words could escaped her paling lips, not even a scream. Cold amber eyes gazed emotionlessly in her direction as the door swung behind her. All was still for that moment...

**Ding, ding, ding...**

**The clock struck signaling the new hour...**

**

* * *

**

**Author's Notes: **This one took me a while to get to since I was debating on whether to base the fiction off the anime or the manga. My final decision was to use the manga since the themes were a lot more serious than in the anime at most times. Plus this story follows the 'darker' side of the series, or at least it is so far.In this one you guys got to see a bit more of Arie and Kanta's relationship not only with each other, but with their adoptive parents and the mansion itself. Things will be getting pretty dramatic next chapter. 

Sorry to leave it at such a horrible cliffhanger, too. I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible. If you have any questions feel free to comment, e-mail or message me, but I won't spoil anything so don't try. XP

* * *

**Next Shot: One Fateful Night**  



	3. Shot III: One Fateful Night

**Shot III: One Fateful Night**

There was a door open, and light was slowly streaming out from it. Though it was only faint, it was still light in this shrouding darkness.

"Good... now if she makes it out alright everything will be okay." he assured himself, rushing as fast as his legs could take him toward the light. Just as he was about to make one final dash to the door, the light disappeared. A crimson figure sparkled for a brief moment as Kanta almost felt his heart stop. He was frozen...

Frozen in _fear_...

"How quaint... If that's your last wish then you won't mind if I finish you off here."

* * *

Arie stood, despite her better judgement, and began to walk forward as her hearing led her to where the sound was coming from. She had heard that strange noise before, a very long time ago. Something deep down told her it was not a good noise as she continued through the pitch darkness. Her walk soon became strides, and those strides turned into a solid dash. The hall's outline now rushed past as she continued forward. She was getting closer and closer... 

Light!

She saw light just within her grasp. It was a sight for her sore eyes, and her heart nearly leapt. If there was light then that probably meant Kanta was there and if Kanta was there then everything would be all right again. With one last large stride she reached the door and burst through the entrance.

But just as Arie made it through that doorway something else burst...

Her throat ran dry as her eyes widened in horror. No words could escaped her paling lips, not even a scream. Cold amber eyes gazed emotionlessly in her direction as the door swung behind her. All was still for that moment...

**Ding, ding, ding...**

**The clock struck signaling the new hour...**

* * *

"Wh-Who are you?!" Kanta demanded as he instinctively jumped back a considerable distance. The crimson figure he had assumed to see was in fact not a person but a single red rose that had now fluttered to the floor before him.

"Now, now. I don't think you should be wasting your breath, boy." chimed a strangely elegant voice.

Kanta glanced around desperately looking for the intruder. Something was definitely off about everything that was happening and there was a good chance whoever it was who was now confronting Kanta was a part of the chaos. Taking a strong and firm step forward he grit his teeth and began to assert himself further knowing full well that his foe was nearby and probably well armed. "Who are you?" he repeated, his tone a lot more solid then when he had panicked earlier. A slight chuckle seemed to reverberate in his ears as Kanta struggled once more to pinpoint the intruder.

"My... aren't you the brave one?" called the voice again with quite the amused tone in their voice. "You really don't know what's going on do you?"

Kanta was growing tired of the taunts. His mind was starting to deviate from finding out who the intruder was to wanting to give him a good beating himself, but he knew deep down that he was outmatched. There was a sensation within him that warned there was danger, his instincts were screaming for flight over fight but he ignored them as best he could. 'The longer I stall him, whoever he is, the safer Arie could be.' he thought to reassure himself. 'She should be out of the house by now and no matter what else happens so long as she's safe it won't matter...'

"Not listening? You aren't going deaf on me now, are you brat?" taunted the voice again, it seemed their amusement was growing thin already. Patience didn't seem to apply to this intruder. 'So he must not be alone then, no way he could have done this all on his own.' Kanta pondered.

"D-Don't call me brat, besides who are you to talk?" Kanta began against his better judgement as he tried to play the intruder at his own game to coax him from hiding. "At least I'm not a coward trying to use this blackout to hide!" As soon as he had finished his outburst the boy froze in place. What in the world had he just said? What had overcome him to be so rash? The silence was all the affirmation he needed, whoever they were they wouldn't take an insult like that lightly...

"Hiding you say? Coward you say?" echoed the strange voice as if he now surrounded Kanta even though he was clearly alone. "You dare to think this of ME?!"

Kanta was suddenly struck to the ground by an unseen force as he felt an incredible weight upon him. "Gaaah!" he choked as a sole dug into his back squarely. He could feel his spine slowly creaking beneath the pressure but it stopped just in time, however the weight was still upon him.

"Foolish boy." crooned the man as Kanta was hoisted up slowly. "You have no idea who WE are." Kanta was brought to his feet, knocked back into a wall as swiftly as he had been brought up and then lifted again, this time by his throat. The man was strong yet slender but his grip was like a vice and there was no hesitation in his movements. It seemed like a flash that Kanta had been staring at the ground one second and into the menacing black figure that now threatened his life.

"Au-... gahhh..." Kanta gasped as his hands weakly tried to pull free from the man's cold and hard grip. He was losing oxygen, things were blurring already and he could feel the air escaping his lungs. 'How can I escape..?' he thought helplessly.

"I'll kill you for your insolence..." began the man, but strangely enough Kanta felt his grip loosen around his neck. "But not like this." At these words the boy was thrown aside again, colliding with the other side of the hallway as the remaining air in his lungs escaped.

'Wh-... what?' he thought in a daze as he tried to gather himself again. Placing his hand on his head, he opened his eyes only to come face to face with a shining blade. 'Oh god...' he thought in horror as he saw a malicious white smile in the corner of his vision.

"Killing you that way would have been so grotesque, this way I'll paint the wall with your blood and create a beautiful scene." he chimed happily as the blade swung to and fro before Kanta, his eyes never wavering on probably the last thing he'd ever see. "You have no regrets now, do you boy?!"

'It's over! It's all over...' he thought in horror as the blade made one swift movement, probably the only swing it needed to finish him off. Meanwhile Kanta's body failed him. He was paralyzed in fear and despite the cries in his heart and mind to flee he couldn't bring himself to budge an inch. 'If I die here...' he thought, 'if I die here then Arie will be safe, he'll be satisfied with me and she'll have escaped by the time they realize she was even here...'

Despite his fear the real reason he gave in now was for her, his dear sister. So long as she was safe there was meaning in his death now.

But just as the resolute blade was about to strike...

**Ding, ding, ding...**

* * *

It all seemed to happen within an instant; one moment Arie was standing there in horror at the sight before her and the next she blinked they were gone, but the gruesome scene was still there. A shot had been fired as soon as she had stumbled into the room with a false hope and what laid before her was no closer to her salvation then her earlier attempts. A bloody scene was illustrated morbidly before the young girl who had only been searching for her dear brother for protection.

There, sprawled out limply on the floor, was the body of a rather fatty man dressed casually in a black suit and tie. Judging from the cigar that was still barely lit on the floor next to him he was just settling down for a smoke until he met his untimely demise. The room was the private study of Arie's, now former, adoptive father. It was hard to make out his features with the addition of a rather noticeable hole through his large forehead. A steady stream of red began to pool at the man's head the longer she stood there, motionless.

Her mind had not yet comprehended it. Hell, her mind had not comprehended anything of the situation until ten seconds ago. The sound she heard, the loud familiar click; 'Gunshot...' she finally registered in her mind. The body now motionless and almost glowing red framing his head; 'Father...' she had not needed to confirm, but needed to register also. She blinked a few times, something still was not adding up in her mind...

And then it hit her as a sickening chill ran through her body, the smell of blood now becoming apparent in not only the room but the air around her. Her eyes followed the blood stains on the floor all the way up to where she was now standing. There was now a small puddle forming beneath her, barely noticeable were it not for the fact that the entryway was completely clean and lined with a fine beige carpet.

Another drop fell, the sound echoed slightly through the room. Arie's eyes widened ever so slightly as realization slowly came to her. Those terrified golden eyes of hers followed the drop backwards and soon she was staring at her own arm, holding it out as the color flushed from her face. Her whole side was almost soaked in the currently foreign substance to her, but that would only take so long to register in her mind...

"B-... bl-..." she could not say it. The chills continued to rush through her as the sickening feeling in her stomach came full circle.

"Bl-... bl-..!" she struggled to get the words out, the breath rushing from her lungs with each muttered syllable. The foundation of her body shook violently as she sunk to her knees roughly. She curled into a ball protectively, hunching over as she forced her head between her legs instinctively. Her hands knotted into her fine hair as she clutched her head solidly. The girl's whole being was shaken and all hopes she had had before entering this light were gone.

'Help...' something whimpered in the back of her mind. 'Someone... please help...'

"Arie!" called a voice that chimed like a million silver bells in the young and horrified child's mind.

As her position loosened and her eyes trailed from the ground beneath her she soon felt two familiar and rather strong arms tug at her from behind into a warm embrace. Though her body still trembled furiously from the shock she knew that danger was now fleeting from her senses. Slowly she wrapped her small hands around the familiar arms that brought her back to reality. Another surge of cold sweat filled her as she soon clung desperately to those tender arms.

"Arie... it's okay now, everything's okay." he soothed, his hand now stroking her hair gently as he tried to calm her. "Shssh... Don't be scared, I'm here now..."

"I-... Kan... -ta..." she gasped as tears began to form in her tired eyes. She twisted into his chest and clung to him again fiercely, her body doing so on instinct for warmth but her doing so for fear of losing him. "Kanta..!" she sobbed painfully, her throat running dry and straining to get the words out. He held her tighter with each sob that rocked between their bodies, he struggled to hold back his own desperate need for her comfort as well.

"Arie..." he whispered softly in her ear as he tried to get her attention. "We need to get going now okay, you need to get out of here." Her response was a slow and hesitant nod from within his chest. Kanta brought the both of them to their feet as he lifted his head from covering his dear sister and scanned the room.

'My god...' he thought in horror at the motionless body on the floor and the blood trails that covered the orderly study. 'It's my fault...' he thought sadly as he glanced down to the terrified figure he now held protectively against his form. There was no need for her to have seen such a horrific sight, no need for her to now be covered in a stranger's blood. How could he have let this happen to her? He felt a sickening rush through his stomach, the disgust of himself for not protecting her when he could have.

'If that gun hadn't sounded I would probably be dead now and Arie...' he stared back at her small figure falling along by his leading hand. 'Thank god she's safe...' Now that they were together this nightmare could finally end. After the shot the man who had attacked Kanta suddenly disappeared. He'd only closed his eyes for a split second from his impending doom but just as the sound rang out, when he had come to the man was gone. Nevertheless, that only meant the two weren't yet out of danger and as long as they remained there they wouldn't be...

"Kanta..?" Arie whispered as she tugged at his shirt slightly. The motion brought him back to reality as he glanced at her. He couldn't waste anymore time now, he had Arie with him and that was all he needed in the world. 'How could I have been such a fool..?' he mentally scolded himself as he took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Let's go, Arie."

'We have to get out of here, no matter what happens.' he thought resolutely as he squeezed the girl's hand once more.

Arie was lost in the whole situation. Everything at the moment was just a daze to her, even the feel of her brother holding her hand tightly and protectively. His force guiding her along seemed invisible to her current self. All that she could see now, all that enveloped her young mind were those cold, dark amber eyes. They consumed her and terrified her at the same time. Those eyes, she never wanted to see them ever again.

_**'The eyes... of a killer...' **_

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I am sooo sorry to everyone about this super long delay. I didn't mean for this to be pushed back so long but life got really busy now that I'm taking college courses. Anyway...basically I won't make any promises from now on, when I update I update because obviously my studies come first. Things may seem a bit rushed, I apologize for that since I mainly just wanted to get this out and move a little past the incident. There are still a bunch of other ideas I have for this story and it could go in any number of directions... for now I'll just take it slow until I really pick up on where I'm going. Thank you to everyone who have been commenting, favoriting and watching this story. I'm happy you like it so far and I'm sorry it's not in a timely manner...

* * *

**Next Shot: Two of a Kind **


End file.
